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Ghost Boys cover art

Ghost Boys

Written by: Jewell Parker Rhodes
Narrated by: Miles Harvey
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Publisher's Summary

A heartbreaking and powerful story about a black boy killed by a police officer, drawing connections through history, from award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes.

Only the living can make the world better. Live and make it better.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that's been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.

Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey toward recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father's actions.

Once again Jewell Parker Rhodes deftly weaves historical and sociopolitical layers into a gripping and poignant story about how children and families face the complexities of today's world and how one boy grows to understand American blackness in the aftermath of his own death.

©2018 Jewell Parker Rhodes (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"Rhodes captures the all-too-real pain of racial injustice and provides an important window for readers who are just beginning to explore the ideas of privilege and implicit bias." (School Library Journal)

What listeners say about Ghost Boys

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Eye Opening

Jewell Parker Rhodes brings gritty realism to a simple and surreal story. Truly a masterpiece.

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Lies and propaganda.

Seriously unethical propaganda. The author convicts the police officer but never gives him a chance to begin his defence. The cop doesn’t get to introduce evidence or challenge the prosecutions assertions. His lawyer never asks a single question. Disgusting and conscious bias. They have the nerve to complain about unconscious bias.

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